


The Ides of March

by mldrgrl



Series: Adventures of The Lady Detective and The Writer [18]
Category: Californication (TV), The Fall (TV 2013)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 04:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9966572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mldrgrl/pseuds/mldrgrl
Summary: It's Hank's birthday





	

When he was in college, surrounded by pretentious fucks who thought they were being funny, ‘beware the Ides of March,’ was how they told him ‘happy birthday.’  Very original.  Secretly, he was quite proud of the connotations associated with the day of his birth.  This year, like every year, he had certain expectations.  Number one, a morning blow job to wake him up.  Number two, a call from Becca.  Number three, dinner out with Stella.  Number four, Stella for dessert.

 

Well, he didn’t get his wakeup blow job, but that was because Stella god called into work at the ungodly hour of five a.m. when only garbage men and vampires should be awake.  He had rolled over and stuffed his head under the pillow as she hurried through her morning routine.

 

When he roused at the more decent hour of ten a.m. the house was quiet, save for the light tap of rain against the window.  It stayed dark and foggy the rest of the morning into early afternoon.  He wrote some.  He read the paper; the murder of an American student was on the front page, which must’ve been why Stella was called in so early.  And, he waited for the call from Becca.

 

His phone rang at seven, but by that point, he’d already abandoned all hope of dinner out.  Stella hadn’t been in contact all day, which meant she would be coming home exhausted, if she came home at all.  Which also meant dessert was most likely off the table.

 

“How you holding up, Sherlock?” Hank asked in greeting.

 

“Seven o’clock and all’s well, Watson.”

 

“Is it?”

 

“Could you possibly run to the wine shop and pick up a bottle of Sangiovese?  I believe we only have Merlot in the house and I would really appreciate a glass of Sangiovese right now.”

 

“That kind of day?”

 

“Well, it’s over now.  But, I should be home at half past.”

 

“Sure, I’ll run out.  Should I get anything else?  Run you a bath?”

 

“Just the wine.  We can order delivery when I get home.”

 

“See you soon.” 

 

Stella hung up first, as usual.  He checked his phone just in case he missed a call or text while they were speaking, but it was clear.  The rain had stopped hours ago, but the streets were still damp.  He turned the collar up on his jacket and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked to the wine shop.

 

The whole trip took less than fifteen minutes, but it was long enough for Hank to fall into a melancholic slump.  He also didn’t care whether his birthday was celebrated or not, but to go a full day without it even being acknowledged, made him feel lonely.  Times like these he used to fix himself a strong drink, find something to snort or smoke, and top it off with a woman willing to share a few hours with him, whether he had to pay for it or not.

 

He knew, though, that he would come home and Stella would be there soon and he would kiss her, make love to her if she was agreeable, if the day hadn’t sucked all the energy from her, and he would remember that she was better than all the vices he used to use to not feel so lonely that never worked in the first place.

 

He was surprised, when he came home, to find Stella already there.  She was standing in the kitchen with a smile on her face.  Still had on her cream colored blouse and chocolate pencil skirt which told him she’d only arrived a few minutes ago otherwise she’d be in her robe.  Her heels were off though and she glided across the floor in her stockings to greet him.

 

“Close your eyes,” she said, putting her hand up and across his face.  She took the bag with the wine from his hand and twisted her hips out of his grasp when he tried to hold her.  “Keep them closed.”

 

He heard her set the bottle down on the counter and then there was shuffling and squeaking.  He squinted and fought the urge to open at least one eye to see what she was doing.  If he was lucky, he thought maybe he might open them to find her in the lingerie he’d given her for Valentine’s Day.  Or something new he’d never seen before.

 

“All right, you can open them,” she said.

 

It was the last thing he expected, but maybe the best present he’d ever received.  “Becca!?” he murmured in surprise.

 

“Happy birthday,” Stella said, giving Becca’s arm a light squeeze before she stepped away as Hank bent to hug his daughter.

 

He knew she hated when he did it, but he lifted Becca off the floor with his embrace and squeezed her tight.  She groaned, but she also laughed, which was his favorite sound in the world.

 

“Put me down!” she said.

 

“Never,” he said, even as he put her back on her feet.  “How did you manage to pull this off?”

 

Becca glanced at Stella.  “She thought we should surprise you,” she said.

 

“You did this?” Hank asked, turning his cheek to the top of Becca’s head so he could look at Stella.

 

“I had the idea.  It just worked out.”

 

Becca pulled away from Hank.  “Stella was just going to show me the guest room.  There’s something in my bag for you.”

 

“Sure, sure,” Hank said.

 

“Come.”  Stella held her arm out to Becca and led her over to the stairs.

 

Hank smiled to himself as he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over one of the chairs at the counter.  Becca liked Greek and there was a Greek place that delivered around the block.  He searched the drawer where they kept the delivery menus.  Stella came back downstairs alone.

 

“She wanted to call Karen,” Stella said.  “Let her know she got in okay.”

  
Hank grabbed Stella at the hips and drew her in to kiss her.  He backed her up against the counter and lifted her up.  She smiled against his mouth and held his head, finally pushing him away when he began to lay her back.

 

“Mm mm mm,” she murmured, a hand on his chest and the other in his hair.  “Your daughter will be down in a minute.”

 

“I thought you’d forgotten,” he said.

 

“Of course not.”  She draped her arms over his shoulders and laced her fingers together at the back of his neck.  “I’d even set my alarm fifteen minutes early to make sure you got your favorite wake up call.”

 

“You planned a birthday blow job for me?  I think I might cry.”

 

“I sincerely apologize.  I was not expecting to be called in this morning.”

 

“Can I still collect a belated birthday blow job?”

 

“There’s a fairly good chance for that.”

 

“Mmm.”  Hank growled softly and kissed her again.  Stella sank her teeth into his bottom lip and held it in a soft bite as he pulled away.

 

“Happy birthday,” she said, letting him go.

  
  
  


“Best birthday ever,” he whispered, laying his forehead against hers.

 

“Even without the blow job?”

 

“I didn’t say perfect, I said best.”

 

Stella laughed.

 

The End


End file.
